Maximizing our Impact
I invested in my growth and transformation out of desperation. Enough loss happened all at once for me to realize that life was precious and there was a big disconnect between “Having it all” on paper, and “Being happy and satisfied.”I knew the methods I was using were not working. I didn't yet have new methods.I felt powerless and hopeless. On paper, my life was the stuff dreams are made of. I had a great design job in the real estate industry. I had two healthy boys. I had a husband who adored and respected me. Yet, every day I felt like I was at the mercy of every time my kids fell ill when I had a work trip or deadline, every conflict that broke out between co-workers, every encounter with folks cutting in line at the grocery store and every angry driver. My happiness was dependent on all that unpredictable input.
I was on a roller coaster designed, built, and operated by others. Or maybe it was like a tilt-a-whirl that would never stop because I stayed wound up tight!
What I understand now is that I had plenty of knowledge about human psychology, I had a degree in it for heaven's sake. What I didn't have was the practical application of it. In 2007 when I was struggling to be the kind of loving wife and mom I always wanted to be I didn't have the skills and tools I needed to see where I had choice, I only knew that it wasn’t working. I perceived that I was powerless. I was exhausted.
I did not know how to get from there to here.
Once I started taking workshops and courses, I couldn’t wait to re-tool the knowledge about conflict resolution and emotional regulation with the training I had in architecture, using the creative process and project management steps to make the knowledge more applicable to my everyday encounters.
Along my path, as a mom finding her choice and voice and applying what I was learning, I was modeling these skills for our kids. I was mostly teaching them through an authentic intention, empathy, and the language of my apologies. Hindsight is 20/20.
It didn’t take long before I was dumbstruck by our kids' abilities to cooperate, to express themselves, and to create win/win strategies when they had conflict.
They were picking up on the language and especially the compassionate intent under the words. In 2018, when Chase nudged me consider packaging skill-building resources to be more appealing to his generation, we went right to work. How fast and simple can essential skill-building be? We've worked for 5 years developing content and testing delivery methods to meet folks where they are in the development of skills in these various areas. We are freshly motivated to take these to the next level in 2024 with free content and a robust library of online courses and customized programs for communities and teams. In the meantime, we continue to support individual clients through coaching, small group private retreats, and OF COURSE through play and community with Kiara leading us in Creative Cafe. We have one more Creative Cafe session this year.